Eublepharis pictus, Mirza & Gnaneswar, 2022

Mirza, Zeeshan A. & Gnaneswar, Chandrashekaruni, 2022, Description of a new species of leopard geckos, Eublepharis Gray, 1827 from Eastern Ghats, India with notes on Eublepharis hardwickii Gray, 1827, Evolutionary Systematics 6 (1), pp. 77-88 : 77

Eublepharis pictus sp. nov.

Figs 3 , 4 , 6

Eublepharis hardwickii Günther 1864: 119 (in part); Boulenger 1885: 231 (in part); Boulenger 1890: 107 (in part); Smith 1935: 126 (in part); Grismer 1988:465; Mirza et al. 2014: 90 (in part)

Holotype.

Adult female, NCBS NRC-AA-0015, recently dead animal recovered from a water tank near a temple in Vishakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India. Collected by Gnaneshwar C. H., Rishikesh Patil, & Zeeshan A. Mirza on 4 July 2017.

Paratypes.

Adult male NHMUK 1962.238, Russelconda (Ganjam District, Odisha)

Referred material.

ZSIK 4121 male, Khurda, Odisha; ZSIK 23726 male, Odisha; BNHS 227 female, Jaipur, Rajasthan (likely from Jaypore, Odisha)

Diagnosis.

A medium sized Eublepharis reaching SVL of 117 mm (max.), with 23-26 rows of large flat, tubercle-like moderately keeled scales across the dorsum intermixed with much smaller scales, a single pale band between the nuchal loop and caudal constriction; smooth subdigital lamellae on digit IV of pes 19; 17-18 precloacal pores in an angulate series lacking a diastema.

Comparison.

The new species differs from all members of the genus Eublepharis except for E. hardwickii in bearing large flat, tubercle-like moderately keeled scales across the dorsum, interspaces much less than the size of the scales (vs. dorsum with small scales mixed with moderately keel to smooth rounded tubercles, interspaces much more than the size of the size of the tubercles in E. angramainyu Anderson & Leviton, 1966, E. fuscus Börner 1974, E. macularius (Blyth), E. satpuraensis Mirza, Sanap, Raju, Gawai & Ghadekar, 2014 and E. turcmenicus Darevsky, 1977); single pale band between the nuchal loop and caudal constriction (vs. two or more in E. angramainyu , E. macularius , E. satpuraensis and E. turcmenicus ). The new species is most similar to E. hardwickii with which it shares several morphological traits and genetic divergence of 8-9% but differs in bearing 17 or 18 precloacal pores (vs. 16 in E. hardwickii ), subdigital lamellae on digit IV of pes 19 (vs. 17 in E. hardwickii ). Geographically the two species appear to be separated by the Brahmani River.

Etymology.

The specific epithet ' pictus ' is a Latin word that means ‘painted’ referring to the colouration of the species in life. Suggested common name 'Painted leopard gecko’.

Description of holotype NCBS NRC-AA-0015.

(Fig. 3 ): the holotype is in good condition of preservation, it is preserved in a linear manner with a curved tail. The specimen is emaciated and the vertebral column and ribs are visible as the animal likely starved to death in the water tank. The specimen does not bear any injury or any preservation artifact.

A large sized gecko (SVL 117 mm) with a fairly large head (HL/SVL ratio 0.15), head longer than wide (HW/HL ratio 0.65), head depressed (HH/HL ratio 0.65), distinct from neck (Fig. 3a, b ); canthus rostralis inflated; snout short (SE/HW ratio 0.52), obtusely pointed from dorsal view and acutely in lateral view (Fig. 3c ); longer than eye diameter (OD/SE ratio 0.66); scales on the snout heterogenous in shape and size, smaller ones with rounded edges and larger ones sub-hexagonal, convex; size of the scales increases in size towards the temporal region and are more flat intermixed with small rounded smooth scales. The scales post the temporal region are large, tubercle-like and sub-conical. These scales cover the dorsum of the animal, the hind limbs up-till the caudal constriction; eyes large (OD/HL ratio 0.39), pupil vertical with crenulated edges; supraciliaries 22, anterior ones smaller, these gradually increase in size and turn sub-conical from rounded towards the posterior portion. Ear-opening large, sub-oval, obliquely oriented, nearly ½ the length of the orbital diameter (EL/OD ratio 0.51) lobules absent; eye to ear distance much greater than diameter of eye (EE/OD ratio 1.37); rostral quadrangle, much wider than deep, divided by a median suture for its entire length; rostral in contact with nasal, first supralabial and internasals; two large and a much smaller (middle) internasal between nasals; nostrils large, situated medially in the nasal scale, nasal bordered by rostral, internasal, supralabial I and 8 small scales; mental sub-quadrangular, wider than long; (Fig. 3d ); a pair of postmentals, in contact medially, scales bordering the postmentals and infralabials large, gradually these reduce in size on throat up till the upper thoracic region, overall these scales are circular, convex, smaller than the ones ventral aspect of trunk; supralabials ten on either sides; infralabials (to angle of jaw) eleven on left and ten on right sides.

Body elongate (TRL/SVL ratio 0.48) and dorsoventrally flattened; lacking distinct ventrolateral furrow; dorsal scalation on trunk comprises of large tubercle-like slightly depressed scales intermixed with small, round-edged scales, the large tubercle-like scales are fairly arranged in 26 longitudinal rows at mid-body, each large scale is enveloped in a rosette of 10-12 small scales; ventral scales on trunk smooth, flat, smaller than dorsal scales; mid body scales across belly 28; precloacal pores absent.

Limbs short, stout; digits dilated, bearing horizontally oriented smooth, un-notched lamellae on ventral surface; clawed, claw slightly smaller than length of the lamellar region; forelimbs short (FL/SVL ratio 0.14), equal in length with the hind limbs (CL/SVL ratio 0.14). Terminal phalanx of all digits curved, arising angularly from distal portion of expanded lamellar pad, free portion of phalanx of all digits half to more than half long as the dilated portion. Lamellae beneath the digits, right manus 7-14-14-15-12; right pes 8-16-15-19-16. Relative lengths of digits: III>V>IV>II>I (left manus), V>II>IV>III>I (left pes).

Tail stout, subtly flat on its ventral aspect, round in cross section, longer than snout-vent length (TL/SVL ratio 0.76). Caudal segments distinct on original tail,; pholidosis of original tail dorsum with small, juxtaposed scales intermixed with large sub-conical tubercles in a whorl or 9-10 rows on the first segment, thereafter reduces in number on subsequent segments, scales on regenerated portion of tail heterogenous, lacking tubercles.. Ventral aspect with large, broad scales, median row of scales not enlarged. Two rounded, slightly depressed post cloacal spurs.

Variation observed in examined material.

The paratype male NHMUK 1962.238 bears 18 precloacal pores, 17 in ZSIK 4121. The paratype bears two postcloacal spurs that are sub-conical not rounded as in the holotype.

Distribution and natural history

(Figs 5 , 6 ). The new species is distributed across the states of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh. The forest type in the vicinity of the type locality is dry evergreen mixed with scrub and meadows. The major type of forest across Odisha where the species is found is classified as Tropical Dry Deciduous and Tropical Semi-evergreen forest ( Champion and Seth 2005). The species is strictly nocturnal and has been observed actively foraging along trails in the forest after dusk. While foraging, the species has been observed licking surfaces as it moves, likely the tongue is used as a sensory organ like E. satpuraensis & E. fuscus ( Mirza and Upadhye 2010, Mirza et al. 2014) and Cyrtodactylus varadgirii ( Mirza et al. 2010, Sanap et al. 2011, Agarwal et al. 2016). A large individual was seen at carcasses of road-killed frogs on a road passing through a forested area on the outskirts of Vishakhapatnam. It is unclear if the lizards were attracted to the dead frogs or the insects on the carcasses. Three more individuals (Fig. 6b , uncollected) of the new species were seen along the same road (Fig. 6c ) when the holotype was found. Other sympatric gekkotan species observed at the type locality are Cyrtodactylus nebulosus (Beddome, 1870), Hemidactylus triedrus (Daudin, 1802) and Hemidactylus sushilduttai Giri, Bauer, Mohapatra, Srinivasulu & Agarwal, 2017. Nothing else is known about the biology of the species in the wild. We here refrain from providing accurate locations of the species to ensure protection from illegal collection for the pet trade.

Figures

Figure 3. Eublepharis pictus sp. nov. holotype male NCBS NRC-AA- 0015 a. Dorsal view; b. Ventral view; c. Head dorsal view; d. Head ventral view; e. Head lateral view. Scale bars: 20 mm.

Figure 4. Eublepharis pictus sp. nov. paratype male NHMUK 1962.238 a. Dorsal view; b. Ventral view. Scale bars: 20 mm.

Figure 5. Map of east India showing the distribution of E. hardwickii (black circles) and E. pictus sp. nov. (blue rhombus). Locality details for E. hardwickii (black numbers) 1. Chittagong, 2. Aushgram, 3. Chaibasa, 4. Barajamda, 5. Balasore; E. pictus sp. nov. (blue numbers) 1. Visakhapatnam, 2. Jaypore, 3. Kapilash, 4. Kandhamal, 5. Khurda, 6. Angul. Image of E. pictus sp. nov. by Gnaneshwar C. H.

Figure 6. Eublepharis hardwickii juvenile (uncollected) in its natural habitat. Photo by Supriya Samanta a, b. Eublepharis pictus sp. nov. in life from Visakhapatnam (uncollected). Photo by Zeeshan A. Mirza; c. Habitat near Visakhapatnam where Eublepharis pictus sp. nov. was observed (not collected). Photo by Zeeshan A. Mirza.